NE18

Group: Springhurst-Byawatha Hills Landcare Group	Australian Soil Classification: Basic, Lithic, Orthic TENOSOL (medium, very gravelly, loamy/moderate depth)
Northcote Factual Key:	Great Soil Group: lithosol
General Landscape Description: Midslope (2% slope) of a metamorphic rise. Original vegetation included Grey Box (Eucalyptus microcarpa).

Site Description:

NE18 landscape

Soil Profile Morphology:

Surface Soil

A1	0-15 cm	Very dark greyish brown (10YR3/2); sandy loam; massive (structureless); hardsetting surface condition; very firm consistence dry; contains very many (60%) rock fragments (10 mm average size); pH 5.3; clear change to:	NE18 profile
A2	15-50 cm	Brown (10YR4/3) conspicuously bleached (10YR7/3d); sandy loam; massive (structureless); very firm consistence dry; containsvery many (50%) shale fragments (20 mm average size); pH 6.1; clear change to:
Subsoil
B/C	50-70cm	Dark red (2.5YR4/6) with yellowish red (5YR5/8) and grey mottles; clay loam which occurs in cracks between bedding of base rock; weakly structured; contains 90% baserock; pH 6.9.

• High amount of rock fragments throughout soil profile.

Horizon	Horizon Depth (cm)	Exchangeable Aluminium mg/kg	Field Capacity pF 2.5	Wilting Point pF 4.2	Coarse Sand (0.2-2.0 mm)	Fine Sand (0.02-0.2 mm)	Silt (0.002-0.02 mm)	Clay (<0.002 mm)
A1	0-15	10
A2	15-50
B/C	50+

• Plant available water capacity (PAWC) is considered to be low for this soil profile due to the shallow profile development and high gravel content.
• Soil profile drainage is likely to be high due to the high rock content throughout the shallow soil profile. The fractured and well weathered baserock will also be highly permeable.

• The surface soil is strongly acid. The exchangeable aluminium measured at the pit site is, however, quite low. This is a good result if this site is representative of the whole paddock. A pH/aluminium test on a bulked sample taken from across the paddock would be most appropriate for determining whether lime is needed to raise soil pH.
• The high rock and gravel content throughout the profile will restrict the development of plant roots.
• The pH increases in the A2 horizon and exchangeable aluminium levels are likely to be low.

• The subsoil is only weakly developed and exists in cracks between the weathered baserock. It has a high level of exchangeable magnesium in relation to calcium and is poorly structured.